Tied My Hands
by redefining.insanity
Summary: During a typical day at work, Edward meets a gorgeous girl named Bella. His instant connection to her is shocking, and he doesn't know what to make of it. What is the dark secret lurking behind this girl's eyes? ALLHUMAN/i dont own twilight/LAME SUMMARY :
1. How Beautiful You Are

EPOV

I sighed to myself as I strolled down the walk to the tiny café I worked at. Simple gusts of wind swirled around me, causing my scarf to almost fly off. Fallen maple leaves danced around my feet, and I turned my face upwards to the large expanse above me. The overcast skies were the perfect anecdote to my mood. People usually find days like this dreary, but I enjoy them the most. I smiled to myself as "Only Happy When It Rains" by Garbage ran through my head. Oh, how true that tune is.

When I turned to enter the little coffee shop, I was bombarded by a clan of high school girls on their way out. They started giggling and batting their eyelashes after they realized who they bumped into. I politely smiled despite my building annoyance due to their strategic blockage of the doorway. I slipped through their tightly wound circle, and heard them babbling something about "Oh my god that's the one I told you about!" and "He's so dreamy!" as I headed to the counter. Honestly, I am completely fed up with the girls that swoon over my supposed "good looks". They come into the shop and sit around for hours: giggling and flipping their hair around whenever I walk by. It's maddening!

I waved at Jill, my daily co-worker and walked into the back room to set my things down. I heard Jill say something about needing to take a smoke break so I headed out to start working. At that moment the front door opened and a huge gust of wind blew in, apparently annoying the nearby customers. Little did I know that the girl that stumbled in would change my life.

The girl's chocolate brown hair swirled up around her face. She attempted to tame the wild tresses but ended up tripping over the welcome mat in her lack of concentration. The door swung shut behind her, and she quietly apologized to the surrounding onlookers after regaining some balance. She scurried over to a corner table away from the crowd and took a seat. I walked over to her table just as she was removing her coat. Underneath she wore a loosely fitting green sweater, dark blue jeans and some worn brown boots. She had a glimmering amethyst pendant hanging around her neck. It complimented her pale skin very nicely, I thought to myself.

"Hello, and welcome to Lana's Coffee House. I'm Edward" I recited, "What would you like to order?"

The girl looked down at the menu for a few seconds before turning to look up at me. When she did, I was taken aback. Her entrancing brown eyes looked up at me through dark lashes. Something seemed off in them though, she seemed to be upset.

"Well, I've never been here before," she timidly replied. "What would you recommend…Edward?"

Her eyes locked with mine, and I could see the sorrow swimming in her eyes. I didn't quite understand it, though. It created a feeling inside me that I couldn't exactly identify. I felt as if I should do something - anything - to make her feel better. I conjured up the most warming smile I was capable of, and replied.

"How about the chai tea latte? It's a mildly sweet drink with a little caffeine" I suggested.

"That sounds great, thank you" she said.

"No problem" I smiled even wider and turned back towards the counter. I started making her drink, seriously pondering why her distressed eyes had such an effect on me. I glanced back over my shoulder to find her leaning back in her chair. She was fidgeting with a packet of artificial sweetener. I wanted to know why such a beautiful girl could be in such distress over something. It seemed so unfair.

After her drink was finished I grabbed a chocolate chip cookie and threw it in the microwave for a few seconds to warm it up. I strode over to her table, setting the chai and cookie on her table.

At seeing her confusion about the gooey chocolate chip cookie sitting in front of her, I grinned and said, "It's on the house. You looked like you could use a bit of a snack to go with that drink." Her saddened face lit up at my words, and in turn I chuckled a bit. She thanked me excitedly, and pulled up her green sleeves. It was then that I saw the purplish black handprint around her wrist. Seeing the bruise brought on a flood of emotions. I was shocked that someone would actually lay a hand on this fragile girl. The shock turned into sadness and sympathy for just a moment before the anger hit. My eyes were blinded with rage when I thought of the person who would even dare to touch the beauty sitting right in front of me. My hands clenched into fists, and it took everything in me to keep from throwing a table across the room. I now understood the feeling I had before; I felt very protective of this girl, and for reasons I can't even fathom.

Her soft voice interrupted my thoughts then. "Would you like to join me? I don't know if I can eat this whole cookie myself. As lame as it sounds," she giggled, "It might be too much sugary sweetness for one person." A genuine smile spread across her face as she motioned to the chair across from her.

Without even thinking I responded, "I would love to, um-"

"Bella," she said finishing my sentence.

"Well then Bella, let me go grab a cup of tea, and I'll be right back."

Her smile was interrupted when her cell phone rang. A look of terror spread across her face as she picked it up and read the caller ID. For a few seconds, she gripped the phone so tightly her knuckles turned white. I was about to ask what the problem was when she shoved it quickly into her pocket.

"Uh, actually Edward, I can't stay. I really need to go. I'm sorry..-" she trailed off with her head bowed. In an instant, she gathered up her things, threw on her coat and was out the door. I was left standing there stunned. There was no doubt in my mind who was on the other line.


	2. In My Head

**Hey, thanks a lot for reading! I would like to thank the four of you that reviewed!**** Although, I would really appreciate if more of you guys could please please please review! I just don't feel motivated to write anymore of the story if I don't have any feedback. Also, it makes me feel like my story is a load of crap. Haha. **

**Well I'm still playing around with the story but I'll update soon with some fresh stuff. :)**

BPOV

Running out of the café, my mind was in a frenzy. What was I doing in there? That sudden burst of superficial confidence was unexpected. Even though it was foreign to me, I found my outgoing façade was incredibly refreshing.

My cell began ringing again, bringing me back to reality. I felt my heart drop to my feet when I realized it was Jacob on the other line. I missed his first call, which would mean some extra trouble to deal with tonight unless I made him an elaborate dinner. After the third ring, I picked it up.

"Hello?" I answered acting nonchalant.

"What the hell Bella?!" he huffed. "Why didn't you answer my call? Where the hell are you?"

With the calmest voice I could muster up, I answered "Sorry Jake. My cell was on silent for some reason. I was just taking it out to call you when I picked up."

"Oh is that right? Well then what did you want to ask me?" he questioned. His voice sounded skeptical.

"I just wanted to know what your plans are for tonight?"

"Well I'm having the guys over to watch the game. I was expecting you to come home with food about twenty minutes ago but you didn't show. What is up with that? You need to get your butt back here and make us some food." He ordered.

"Oh okay. I'll be home soon, I promise. I just lost track of time. Would fried chi-" I started

"Lost track of time? Yeah sure. Well whatever it is that you were doing, you better stop. I mean it. This new job is really testing me, and if this happens again it will come to an end. And by and end, I mean _quit._ You get it?" He interrupted.

With those words I found myself speechless; I almost dropped the phone on the ground. Quit? _Really?_ Jacob was threatening to take away the one good thing that has come of this new life? This interning job at the local photography magazine was the best thing that has come since I met Jake, and now he was threatening savagely rip that out of my hands for his own pleasure. Just like everything else from the what I like to call "pre-Jacob" life. I was trying to come up with something to say back, but I quickly realized that I couldn't and shouldn't challenge him. It would only mean trouble.

"_Hello?"_ He asked, obviously annoyed by my shocked silence.

"Uh-um yeah. Okay I'll be home soon" I stuttered.

"You better" He threatened with anger coating his voice. I heard him grunt and slam down the phone.

As soon as I hung up, the green eyed angel invaded my vision. His lopsided grin, dark bronze hair and pale skin. I couldn't help but smile as I remembered his eagerness to sit with me and share the cookie. In that moment, I knew that I had to go back. Not today, of course, but someday soon. Just to catch a glimpse. I felt drawn to him, and it scared me. But the fear was exciting, and it was enough to occupy my mind the next couple days.


	3. Surrender

**Hey guys, sorry for the late update. It's 3am here and I'm officially exhausted! I tried saving this document, but my computer had a tiny seizure and I lost it ALL. So I rewrote it just for you. I wanted to get this to you because it's such an important part of the story. Yes, it's intense. But it needs to be. I'm changing my rating from a T to an M just to be safe. This story has dark elements, which makes sense if you think about it. Abuse isn't all rainbows, unicorns and fluff. It's real. It's raw and it's wrong. **

**I don't own Twilight**

**3**

**EPOV**

She came back to my cafe many times since our first meeting. We would sit and talk for hours. Although it made my coworkers happy to see me alive again, they complained about our time spent together. They poked fun at the fact that I'd become more of a customer than an employee. Bella and I talked about everything. It was always something different too. It hadn't ever occurred to me that I could find somebody like her. I felt so...comfortable. I could look a fine mess, and she would still look at me as if in amazement. I felt as if I could tell her anything. She was the only person I had ever held this connection with. I could say something obviously dumb, and she would continue on with me as if it was nothing out of the ordinary. I loved the time I spent with her. I loved the way her hair fell across her shoulders in waves of chocolate brown. I especially loved her eyes. No words could describe the effect he had on me, and I even loved _that. _I longed to express my feelings, but I knew it would be wrong. She hadn't told me anything about a boyfriend, yet I knew he was there. Every night he was there to call and interrupt our time together. Maybe I was just letting my mind run wild, but I know what I can see. Almost every two days my angel would show up with a fresh bruise somewhere on her milky skin. Each one I saw caused a pain in my heart. I was letting this delicate girl be abused by some monster. I watched it play out right in front of my eyes.

Soon I found a pattern in the purple bruises. The later she left me, the more wounds would appear. It was such a selfish thing for me to do, but I found myself stalling to keep her with me longer even though I knew what would come of her tardiness. For this, I hated myself-but I couldn't do anything to change it.

All I could do was appreciate time with her whilst still keeping things light. I drove her to places so she could get some shots to keep her job. On one of these outings, she kissed my cheek. Yes it is something very trite, although I can't get it out of my mind. Her lips so close to mine, the tenderness of them. Her eyes always seemed to light up when we were together. It drove me insane to think that her eyes aren't always sparkling as I saw them.

**BPOV**

Jacob's anger got worse and worse as the time progressed. He hated me being out so late because it meant that his dinner would be late. How medieval! I hated coming home to him. Not only was I leaving my Edward (who really isn't even mine, but a girl can dream can't she?) but I had to buck up for yet another beating. I loathed Jacob, but I couldn't just leave him. Where would I go? Edward probably just sees me as some friend he can hang with, so that's out of the picture eh?

Jacob has a thing about schedules. He needs them. He honestly can't live without them. Everyday he leaves early for an office job downtown for 6 hours. After he gets off work, he lurks around making an extra buck on the streets. He even has a schedule for me. Get up, make breakfast, go to work, come home, make dinner. If he knew that I had done anything but, he would flip. I should have remembered this. While chopping up some onions, I let myself slip and mention something about one of the trips Edward took me on. Spending so much time with him helped me break my shell, and I forgot to watch my tongue. I tried to cover up what I had said by brushing it off as if it was nothing. Jacob noticed, nonetheless.

"_What_ did you just say?" he asked. I could hear the anger rising.

"Uh...I just said that I agree that the forests are, um...very dense." I whispered.

"How the hell would you know? You aren't allowed to go anywhere but work!" He said, his voice was raised now. At least he wasn't yelling yet.

"I, um.." He cut me off before I could come up with anything. "You've been seeing somebody else, haven't you?!" I heard his down the rest of his beer, and slam it down onto the table. Scared to turn around, I tensed up and tightened my grip around the knife. He pushed back his chair and stalked toward me. I prayed to God that he wouldn't turn me around to face him. I got my wish.

"So you _have _gone behind my back!" He yelled. He walked up behind me and pressed his body into mine, ramming my hips into the counter. The piercing pain quickly retreated to the back of my mind as he wrapped his hands around mine. Breathing heavy into my ear, he brought my left hand down to my hip and held it there.

"How does it feel to disobey?" He mumbled. "Those who disobey need to be punished" he said in a low voice. His tone was menacing, and his words were slurred. The alcohol was taking effect, which could only mean trouble.

Jacob's grip tightened around my right hand holding the knife. With ease, he forced the knife up to my face. He let the tip of the knife graze over and draw figure eights on my cheek. In his drunken state, the knife slipped and ended up puncturing the skin. At this point I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to not focus on the pain in my cheek. Tears welled up in my eyes and threatened to pour over. At my reaction, Jacob boomed with laughter. He found my pain amusing.

"So you think you can wrong me, little whore?" He whispered in my ear. The knife trailed down my cheek to right below my jawbone. He repeated that phrase over and over as he pressed the knife into my neck. I could feel the cold metal slice my skin and then disappear. I was frightened to open my eyes, so I squeezed them tighter. I then felt him force my left arm up onto the cutting board. His hand tightened over mine, holding it in place. Even if I tried, I couldn't get my arm away from him. He was way too strong. He pressed into me even harder before I felt the knife on my forearm. My stomach twisted into a knot once I realized what he was about to do.

"So you think you can wrong me, little whore?" He whispered once again. "_Think again!"_ he hissed right before swiping the blade across my arm. I screamed and my eyes flew open to see what he had done. The flowing blood almost caused me to pass out, but I closed my eyes. I know that fainting is the last thing that should happen right now. Jacob stepped away from me and threw a dirty rag at me. "Clean up. I'll be home within the hour." He stumbled out the door after grabbing himself another beer.

I waited no longer than a second before I ran upstairs to the bathroom. I found my secret first aid kit and pulled out some butterfly closures and gauze. I examined the slice, and although it was the worst of the three cuts, it wasn't as bad as it could have been. It could use some stitches, but there was no time for that. I wrapped it tightly in gauze and held it above my heart to slow the bleeding. I looked in the mirror and saw blood dripped down from my cheek and neck onto my chest. I wiped myself clean and changed out of the bloody shirt. I fell onto my bed in a state of shock and revulsion. Before I knew it, Jacob was falling up the stairs to come find me. I finished buttoning my shirt wiped the extra tears from my face. He barged into the room and slurred some sort of insult. He walked over to me, smiling and ripped of my clothes. In the dim light I could see his eyes glazed over. He smelled of beer and cigarettes. After taking his own shirt off, I saw the fresh track marks on his arm. My stomach twisted into a ball once again as I realized what I had in store for the night. Alcohol makes him abusive, but cocaine makes him worse.


	4. Get Out Alive

**Hey chillins. So I have to apologize for my late update. My computer loves me so much that it decided to crash on me while I was scanning it for that lovely Conficker virus (such a smart name, huh?!) I ended up not even having the damn virus, but I had limited disk space. When I rebooted my computer I found all of my files were GONE. Yes, GONE. Can you say emotional day! All of my writings, pictures, and music were all lost. I'm going to take it to a special place and see if they can get all my stuff back, but my hopes are kinda crushed right now. So I'm sorry, and I'll have another chapter up tonight if not tomorrow. We have a huge snowstorm coming in once again and I won't be able to leave my house! Haha. I hope you enjoy.**

**This hurts to admit but.....I DON'T OWN TWILIGHT.**

**Ouch.**

**EPOV**

I woke up extra early today incredibly excited about my trip with Bella today. She bugged me about the secret location, but as many times as she pinched and nagged me about it, I would by no means disclose any information. I wanted this trip to be special. Not just some scenic adventure, but a serious time with just her and I. She had too much to catch up on at work, so I had to postpone it for a few weeks. Either way, we spent just as much time together. Every now and then she would call me at unexpected times just to see how I'm doing. We would spend hours on the phone, talking late into the night. Each time Bella will fall asleep on the other line. I don't hang up though- I like to listen to her breathing. It calms me.

I shook the image of Bella peacefully resting in my arms and stepped into a hot shower. I cooked a fast breakfast and threw on some clothes. I packed an elaborate lunch for us in my backpack. If the weather had any mercy, it would let up on the rain and let us have a picnic. Although the chances were slim, I threw in some grapes and sandwiches. I threw on my grey overcoat and headed out into the misty atmosphere. I jammed my hands into my pockets and glared up at the dark sky.

"You better not mess this up!" I muttered to the rain gods and continued on my way.

I drove the short distance to my work and pulled into a parking space out back. I grabbed the book I bought for Bella and jogged into the building. Inside I greeted Jill and poured myself a fresh cup of house coffee. I welcomed the warmth of the beverage and took a moment to relax. My excitement was getting the better of me.

"What's got _your_ panties in a bunch?" Jill commented as she passed by me on her way to a table of businessmen.

I laughed and took a seat by the window. I sat sipping my coffee for a fair amount of time before I pulled out the novel I bought for Bella. It was a collection of poems by Robert Frost-a poet she had mentioned before while on one of her literature rants. I was so lost in his works that I hadn't even noticed that almost two hours had passed. I glanced at the clock and almost had a heart attack. I took a deep breath and figured Bella was just running late by finishing some things up at the office. I shrugged it off and chose to help Jill out with the now packed café. I scanned the tiny room and saw her trying to handle a table of eight teenage girls. Poor thing looked so stressed. In a frustrated huff, she stormed away from the table and retreated to the back room. I followed her chuckling at her apparent annoyance.

"These stupid girls!" she complained to me once she saw me enter the room. "Each hair-sprayed, coach bag lugging, pop culture obsessed girl has a specialized drink order. Three pump this, soy that. Do they think this is that stupid franchise we all know and hate Starbucks? Or better known as _FOUR_bucks?" Her exasperated complaints got the best of me and I let a booming laugh escape my lips. Jill looked up at me with scorching eyes. She was fuming. Trying to make things better, I offered to take the table for her.

"Oh, please do!" She spat at me. "At least you'll shut them the hell up! They will be too occupied swooning to notice if their non-fat latte order is accidentally messed up." She walked out the back door laughing hysterically. Sometimes I wonder if she's mentally stable….

I headed back out to the front of the café and walked over to the table from hell. About a foot from the table I was engulfed by a mixture of fruity perfume; probably sponsored by some tabloid bimbo what can't keep her clothes on. I threw on a smile and greeted the girls. Glancing around the table I was bombarded by eight pairs of clumpy batting black eyelashes. It was as if each one had a huge hair in their eyes and couldn't help but blink continuously to remove it.

Once I recorded all of the complicated orders, I rushed back to the counter in search of clean air. Jill pointed at the table and I saw them whispering, pointing at me and giggling. She gagged and walked away quickly before I could throw my pad of paper at her. The girls kept me so busy that when I looked at the clock I was shocked. Another hour had passed and still no Bella.

The worry really began to set in after another half hour flew by. I know that Bella wouldn't blow me off for just anything. Only something incredibly important would cause her to be a no show- unless something else happened. Not something important, but something incredibly..bad….

**This is a short chapter, I know. But this next one should be much...much longer. PLEASE REVIEW. A happy writer is a writer who gets reviews. Mmk? Plus it really helps to get some real feedback. It motivates me. You all should know this feeling!!! I love y'all!**

**xoxo**


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